Spring is here

Spring must be here. I wore my thinnest shortest dress when mama took me to the ballet class today. It is very nice outside. After we got home, I wanted to go out to play, but was scared of Sabrina’s dogs, Hugo and Gretta – two black 4-month old puppies. So, I had to wait for dada to finish drinking coffee and he took me out.

Sabrina’s daddy and mommy were standing near Caroline’s swing with the dogs and, sure enough, both of them came running to us licking and jumping. I was scared and dada picked me up. Sabrina’s dad picked up Gretta for me to pet. I petter her on her back, but couldn’t get myself to shed the fear. As long as dada stood there talking to them, I wouldn’t get down. When the dogs started jumping at me, I was scared and started crying and dada carried me back home. I know they are not going to do anything. I want to like them, but still have this fear inside me. Dada tells me it is ok to be afraid, but he also tells me that I must try to get used to the dogs. I know it is something I need to work on. Hopefully, I will get over the fear some day.

Rest of the evening was fun. Dada suggested we assemble the trampoline. Last two years, we have been disassembling it and storing it on the attic above the garage for the winter. I helped dada get all the parts down from the attic. Then, I went and called Caroline and Sabrina and asked them if they wanted to help us assemble it. They were more than glad. We all carried the parts to the yard and started assembling. With everyone’s help, the whole assembly was over in half an hour. Caroline’s hand was paining and she was tired because she fixed most of the 50 or so springs. She was so enthusiastic about jumping on the trampoline, but about the time we finished, her dad came and took her away to go and pick up her brothers. And, Sabrina and Max went to their house for dinner.

I jumped on it for a while myself. It was exhilerating jumping on the trampoline after a long time. Sabrina and Max came back after dinner on their dad’s new scooter which he rode across the yard. We all jumped on the trampoline for the next hour. Dada and Sabrina’s dad to jumped for a while with us. It was fun.

Man, I love spring. But, then, I loved sleding in winter, so winter is not that bad either. Dad has promised to take me out hiking in spring and summer. I still remember the hiking we did in Alabama. It was fun! Mama lost her glasses on the trail and she came to know about it after reaching the trailhead. We used our camcorder recording to trace to where we lost it and retrieved it….only to lose it permanently after reaching St.Louis! But, hiking was fun.

Random Thoughs (3/19/2007)

I had a good weekend. Saturday was a cold day compared to the 70’s we had last week. It was in the 30’s, but we had flurries falling all through the day. No accumulation, though. Dada was working all morning on the new flat panel TV installation and the shelf that he is building by cutting the wall between the family room and the bedroom. The TV is already mounted on the wall above the fireplace and he pulled the wires through a hole to the closet in the bedroom. He also cut up the wall between the family room and the bedroom and is installing the shelf in there. I am fascinated by what he is doing, but it gets a little to dusty when he does his work, so mama and me got in my room and closed doors. It was almost 2pm when he was done with all his drillings and cuttings. He cleaned it all up and started doing the wiring for the new outlets. I was very happy when he needed my help in pulling the cables through the holes. I put my whole hand inside the wall through the small holes and pulled the cables through. Dada told me he couldn’t have done it without me because his big hands can’t be inserted into the small holes. I was proud.

After lunch, I watched the scary movie (The Shining) that we had been watching. All the background music makes the movie more scary than it actually is. Even though the movie is rated R, I am actually enjoying watching it. I look forward to seeing what really happens in the end.

Dada took me for the tennis class at 4pm. After that we went for the Firebird ballet by Alexandra Ballet. It was at Touhill hall at UMSL. I really enjoyed the ballet. It was great. I wish I could dance like all those girls on the stage. Mama had brought a sausage for me to eat during the intermission, but I was still hungry. After the ballet, when dada went to bring the car around, mama and I went looking to see if we could buy some chips, but the stall was closed. I was pretty upset about it and cried a little. I think I slept off in the car.

On Sunday, we went to the church. Today, there were some additional rituals at the church. Achan prayed with a cross with a red cloth wrapped around it and placed it on a stand below the altar. A few weeks ago, dada had explained to me how they made scarecrows in India by making a cross with two sticks and placing an old shirt on it to scare the birds away. I couldn’t help but ask him, “Dada, you remember you told me about how you make scarecrows, is that something like that?”. Dada took me to the small room behind the church and explained to me that this is not a scarecrow. Achan is doing it because we are in the middle of the noymbu and we are getting ready for Easter. I like the way he tells me about all these stories and then remind me that they are all just stories. The Sunday school teacher tells us all the stories as if they really happened. But, dada tells me I must think about everything without blindly believing in any of the stories. He tells me stories enrich us, but we should not let them influence our mind too much. I am a bit confused, but dada tells me it is ok to be confused because confusion makes us think. He tells me he doesn’t want me to be influenced either way. He admits that he may have a tendency to influence me, but he wants me to think and form my own views. He wants to, some day, look up to me for my views. Mmmh..

I played in the church yard with the other kids. I had a yellow flower with stem that dada had given me from a flower vase in the basement. Saagar came up to me and pulled the flower out of the stem. I was very upset and started crying. He was upset to see me crying. He took me to the flower bed near the church and plucked two better looking flowers. I know he is a nice boy and didn’t really mean to upset me, but I don’t understand why people can’t be sensitive to the fact that I get attached to my things. I liked that flower just like I like all the drawings I bring home from school. To others, they may be just another paper, but I am attached to them and I can’t stand the sight of someone treating it without understanding that attachment.

I know I cry a little more than some other kids. But dada tells me it is ok to cry as long as I am doing it for a reason. He tells me I am actually fortunate to be able to cry like that. When he was a little boy, he used to cry and people around him would make fun of him and he developed the habit of suppressing everything inside which is not a good thing. When I cry for no reason, he dislikes it though. He has started giving me punishments (which usually means I don’t get to watch “Sister Sister”) when I do it. I am fine with punishments as long as they are for a reason. They only make me a better person, as dada says.

At home, we again settled down to watch the scary movie. Mama was in the kitchen occasionally watching the movie. In the midst of all the funny sounds from the movie, we didn’t hear the doorbell the first time. It was Caroline and Sabrina asking if I want to go out and play with them. I did. Spent the next couple of hours playing with them.

Alka came in the evening with her parents. We played for a while. Then Binu came and Alka and her parents left soon after. I played dominoes with Binu for a while. But, Binu got talking to dada about being healthy and working out etc. and I was ignored. Binu left after dinner.

Dada hasn’t been feeling too well. His cold is really bad. I think he inhaled too much dust and drywall powder on Saturday. He had a headache by the time Binu left. He again wanted sleep by himself. I miss him when he doesn’t sleep with us. I like sleeping in the middle of dada and mama. I wish I will never grow up and have to move out….

Random Thoughts (3/14/2007)

I went for a walk with dada when mama went for her yoga classes. As has been the practice this last week, I rode my scooter and dada watched the road for oncoming vehicles. We went to my school (Bellerive) and I suggested we race in the track around the playground – me on the scooter and dada running. When we reached about half way (I was leading, of course), I felt pissy…so real pissy that I couldn’t hold it for even a minute. So, dada told me to get behind the wooden bench and let it out. I got behind the bench, but couldn’t hold it any longer and just pissed in my clothes. I felt very embarrassed and distressed. I started crying. Dada was trying to console me saying, “It is ok”. But, I was so wet that I couldn’t even walk and wanted to remove my clothes. But dada said we can’t do that because we didn’t have spare clothes. It was the first time anything like that had happened to me.

There was a boy who was a little older than me who was running around the ground. He knew something was wrong, but I am not sure if he saw what had happened. He didn’t laugh at me or anything. I saw another couple of people walking towards where we were and I wanted to get out of there. I tried to walk a little, but it was just plain messy. Dada carried my scooter and helmet in one hand and picked me up in his other hand and carried me across the playground and to the steps that led up to the no man’s land. He was panting. I think I have grown too big for him now. I was still crying, but managed walk across the no man’s land to Bellerive Estate Drive. When we got to Deauville Ct, there was a little girl standing there all by herself. Dada asked her if she was lost. She said, “No”. Then, we walked towards our home. Mary and her friends were on the street, but I don’t think they noticed my wet pants.

We reached home and we removed all my clothes and took a shower. It was really an embarrassing and uncomfortable experience. Not an appropriate one to start a diary with, but here I cut the ribbon to my diary…..

Dada was so sympathetic of me that he let me watch two episodes of “Sister Sister”. I think I am getting a little bored with “Sister Sister” now. Dada must have sensed it and he changed the channel to ESPN2 where a tennis game was going on. Tennis is my newest passion, but this was the first game I watched on TV. Dada taught me the scoring and some rules. I think I like this game. I can’t wait for the day I play a real game on a real court. Dada tells me, “Ruby, you are a good player like Binu”. I want to play my first game with dada.